Wednesday, January 7, 2009

In December I donated some holiday cards for silent auction organized by a fellow Etsian. Here's the update she sent me.

Your generous donation to the Woodrow Wilson School Public Service Auction held on December 5, 2008 contributed to our success in raising more than $9,800.00, all of which will be used to support programs for children and teenagers in the Greater Donnelly neighborhoods in North Trenton. These children, among the most under-served in Trenton, are not provided government-funded after-school and other services that are accessible and available to children in other communities. Your contribution will help young children and teenagers receive the mentoring, tutoring and care in out-of-school programs they deserve, and support in resisting the negative influence of the streets that surround them. Many of these children have no place else to go.The decision of the graduate students enrolled in the Woodrow Wilson School to select The Greater Donnelly Initiative as the beneficiary of this year’s event stemmed from their own experience in the community. Volunteers from the School are serving as tutors and mentors, and were drawn to the children and the progress the community has made. The neighborhoods in which the children live, which surround Donnelly and Page Homes in North Trenton, were selected by the Department of Justice as a “Weed and Seed” site, and therefore benefit from an intense anti-crime initiative (“weeding”) which began in 2005. Those law enforcement efforts have led to a new sense of security and hope, and opportunities to provide human services programs, including the out-of-school programs you are supporting. To learn more about The Greater Donnelly Neighborhood Initiative, and Weed and Seed, visit the organization’s website: www.GreaterDonnelly.com. You will see that you and your Etsy Site have been listed as a contributor to the community on the website (click “Supporting Arms”), and we hope that your participation will inspire others to contribute through donations or volunteer support. In these difficult times, our neighbors in Trenton, and especially their children, are grateful for the support provided by generous donors like you.Thank you again, and with best wishes for the New Year.